[meteorite-list] Iron slice etching questions

Thu Jun 16 23:24:28 EDT 2011

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "John Lutzon" <jl at hc.fdn.com>
To: "R N Hartman" <rhartman04 at earthlink.net>
Cc: <meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com>
Sent: Thursday, June 16, 2011 11:15 PM
Subject: Re: [meteorite-list] Iron slice etching questions


>
> Ron,
>
> I'm sure many are thanking you--me, most of all.
>
> Your post is a great comprehensive procedure for etching.
>
> I now see my past problems--leaving the FC on for too long and not oiling 
> first.
>
> Many thanks
> John Lutzon
> IMCA# 1896
>
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "R N Hartman" <rhartman04 at earthlink.net>
> To: "Michael Mulgrew" <mikestang at gmail.com>; "Shawn Alan" 
> <photophlow at yahoo.com>
> Cc: <meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com>
> Sent: Thursday, June 16, 2011 10:37 PM
> Subject: Re: [meteorite-list] Iron slice etching questions
>
>
>> Hello Shawn,
>>
>> The radio shack etchant is ferric chloride and it works very fast.  It is 
>> a deep etch and will give more contast and bring out detail you will not 
>> get using Nitric.  (We etched a Fredericksberg Hexahedrite for Richard 
>> Norton once and brough out much Neumann line structure, and he was 
>> overjoyed!)  You want to polish your iron meteorite out to a mirror 
>> finish (moreso  than if you used nitric)  Traditional nitric acid will 
>> give a nice etch if you sand down to a #400.  For preparing your 
>> speciomen with the RS FeCl etchant you should go to #1200 or sometimes 
>> #2400 grit.  Your previous coating and and residual surface structures 
>> will be gone at this point.  Now hold the prepared surface under running 
>> water and quickly coat the speciment with the RS etchant using a broad 
>> brush (abou an inch). Dabbing may give uneven results as it sometimes 
>> will bring out the pattern almost instantly.  If your etched surface 
>> turns dark you have over etched and you need to start over.  When 
>> satisfied, rinse quickly and thoroughly to remove any residual ferric 
>> chloride.  Then rinse thoroughly in at least a 90% Isopropyl alchhol. No 
>> need to go to a 100% because once you begin to use it you have 
>> contaminated it by a few percent water.   If it seems stable, submirse in 
>> a container of the ATF fluid.  Here is the trick.  Put into a oven and 
>> heat until you see bubbles coming out of the cracks and fissures of the 
>> meteorite.  You will be surprised how much water is still in the 
>> fissures. After a couple of hours let cool in the oven. During this 
>> process the metal will have expanded and any bubbles of water and other 
>> contaminants will have been purged from the meteorite and the fissures 
>> will fill with the AFT and seal.  It is failure to do this which 
>> eventually leads to rusting as virtually noone goes through this step. 
>> After cooling remove the meteorite and allow a very thin coating to 
>> puddle on the surface, but wipe off any excess.  Let dry for 2 or 3 days 
>> naturally.  (Preferably upside down in a box so as not to allow dust to 
>> get embedded in the surface while sticky.) When dry you will have a nice 
>> protective coating from the ATF fluid.  Metal with ATF on it will not 
>> rust.  But be sure that you have treated the cracks and fussures.
>>
>> Exact temperatures in the oven: Much higher than if you put in an iron 
>> meteorite not in fluid (maybe 200+ degrees). The surface would turn color 
>> and you may ruin it.
>> You need to experiment but don't cause an explosion or burn down your 
>> house. I offer these suggestions as a guideline, but I DO NOT ASSUME ANY 
>> RESPONSIBILITY FOR YOUR ACTIONS, and be careful when using any etchant. 
>> Wear potective gloves so you don't stain your fingers.  We have found 
>> parameters that work for us - nothing rusts, not even ruster Campos!  You 
>> may have to adjust times and temperatures used with dufferent meteorites.
>>
>> Good luck. Let me know how you do.
>>
>> (Use of AFT fluid developed by Jim Hartman who first noticed in 2000 in 
>> an auto wrecking yard that piles of junk iron that had had AFT fluid 
>> dripped on it were shiny bright where the fluid had dripped.
>> .
>> See our article on eiching in the archives of the METEORITE TIMES. 
>> http://www.meteorite-times.com/Back_Links/2002/November/meteorites_101.htm
>> (c) 2001 Ronald N Hartman / James C. Hartman
>>
>> Ron Hartman
>>
>> ----- Original Message ----- 
>> From: "Michael Mulgrew" <mikestang at gmail.com>
>> To: "Shawn Alan" <photophlow at yahoo.com>
>> Cc: <meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com>
>> Sent: Thursday, June 16, 2011 5:41 PM
>> Subject: Re: [meteorite-list] Iron slice etching questions
>>
>>
>>> Hi, Shawn.
>>>
>>> I use CLR on a Q-tip to remove rust, and rinse off the CLR with
>>> isopropyl alcohol.
>>>
>>> Rather than hassle with nitric acid solutions I use computer board
>>> etchant that you can purchase at any Radio Shack
>>> (http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2102868).  Dab
>>> it on with a foam brush and rinse with warm water, followed by an iso
>>> alcohol rinse and a couple hours in the oven to dry.  After it's dry I
>>> apply a light coat of automatic transmission fluid.  I don't use
>>> lacquer because if I don't want to seal anything in by accident, and I
>>> prefer to be able to quickly re-clean if needed.
>>>
>>> Here's a small Campo slice I recently rehab'd, it came out great!
>>> http://api.ning.com/files/TTNq51g3PmEprv8cGklQmHxEnDH*40GU9qqeWlLVr3cNNcgRVd*HYBhyOcU19upJ1sNWmzTcdWSxWfxxyek*qZu-H3pLDerR/camporehab.jpg
>>>
>>> Best,
>>> Michael in so. Cal.
>>>
>>> On Thu, Jun 16, 2011 at 3:40 PM, Shawn Alan <photophlow at yahoo.com> 
>>> wrote:
>>>>
>>>> Hello Listers
>>>>
>>>> For all of you that collect irons I have a couple questions. The first 
>>>> one is I know some people seal their iron slices with a clear coat 
>>>> lacker, now is this safe to do if done right, and if so, what is the 
>>>> producted used. If someone wants to take it off the clear coat what can 
>>>> be used? Could acetone be a good agent to take off the coating?
>>>>
>>>> Second question what do people use to etch an iron. I have seen some 
>>>> videos but nothing talks about the acid used or the strength or I must 
>>>> have missed something. Also if there is some lite rust on the slice, 
>>>> whats a good agent to clean off the slice before etching. Why I aske is 
>>>> because I have an iron that is etched on one side and on the other side 
>>>> its kinda etched with some cool looking saw marks but could be etched 
>>>> more. I would like to have both side etched nicely and see what peoples 
>>>> thoughts are.
>>>>
>>>> Shawn Alan
>>>> IMCA 1633
>>>> eBaystore
>>>> http://shop.ebay.com/photophlow/m.html
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
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>>
>>
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